Connector for structural elements



Feb. 12, 1957 w. c. WELLER El AL CONNECTOR FOR STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS Filed June 50, 1955 INVENTOFS ATTORNEY 5) Hu yZ B. @laason.

United States Patent CONNECTOR FOR STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS Warren C. Weller, Washington, D. C., and Hugh B. Johnson, Arlington County, Va., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application June 30, 1953, Serial No. 365,168

2 Claims. (Cl. 18936) Our invention relates to means for connecting structural elements together and more particularly to connectors and connections for knockdown structures which are adapted to be assembled and disassembled by unskilledpersonnel without the use of special tools.

In assembling a knockdown structure in cold weather, it is important that the structural elements be capable of assembly and disassembly by gloved personnel and by the use of tools and connections which can be readily handled without necessitating the removal of gloves. At the same time, the connections should be substantially rigid and incapable of accidental disconnection.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved connector and connection for structural elements.

A further object is to provide a plurality of interengageable structural elements together with connectors adapted to be driven into locking relation to two interenga ed elements to secure them together.

A further object is to provide in such a connection and connector, novel latch means for securing the connector in its operative position.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements thereof, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing two lateral structural elements connected to an upright element by the connection and connector of the invention;

Figure 2 is a like view but showing one end of one of the lateral elements apart from the rest of the structure; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 33 of Figure Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, 16 designates an upright structural element which may be of channel section to provide opposite side walls 11 connected by a web 12. The side walls ii are formed with spacer slots 13 therethrough for the passage of hooks 14 of lateral structural elements or girts 15. As shown, the girts 15 may also be of channel section with hooks 14 projecting beyond the end edges of the side walls thereof.

Hooks 14 have upwardly projecting bills 16 with inner edges 17 which are substantially straight at least throughout the lower portion thereof so as to provide substantially straight sided channels with the adjacent inner surfaces of the side walls 11 of the uprights 10. Such channels are open at the tops and closed at the bottoms by the edges 18 of the bases of the hooks 14.

The slots 13 in walls 11 are at least equal in height to the over-all height of the hooks 14 so that a girt 15 can be initially engaged with an upright ill by a straight endwise movement of the girt until the end edges abut the outer surface of an upright side wall 11 and the books 14 project through the slots 13. To secure the girt in this position, a connector 29 is provided and will now be described.

In the embodiment illustrated, the connector 2t) comprises a substantially T-shaped body of flat resilient material preferably metal. The leg 21 of the connector is disposed between the hooks 14 with the ends of the cross arm 22 seating in the slots provided by the bills 16 of the hooks 3.4. The upper and lower ends of the leg 21 are forwardly bent to provide upper and lower finger pieces or striking surfaces 23 and 24, respectively. Thus, to apply the connector 20, it may be placed in the channels and either pressed home by the fingers or drivingly seated by hammer blows on the upper striking surface 23. To disengage the connector, it may be driven upwardly by blows on the lower striking surface 24 in a manner readily understood. By providing upper and lower striking surfaces 23 and 24, there is no necessity for swinging a striking tool between the hooks 14 to either seat or unseat the connector 25?, whereby there is less likelihood of striking and deforming the hooks.

To secure the conector 2% in place, there has been provided a novel latch now to be described. As best seen in Figure 5, either the side wall 12 or the connector 20 is formed or provided with a latch detent and the other is formed or provided with a latch dog. In the embodimerit illustrated, a small dent is formed in each side wall 12 to provide a latch detent 3G. In like manner, a complementary latch dog 31 is formed or provided on the abutting surface of the leg 21 of each connector 29 in the region of the lower end thereof. The resiliency of the leg 21 is such as to permit it being forwardly sprung by the latch dog 31 until the latter seats in the detent 30 in a manner readily understood. Likewise, as the dog 31 and detent 343 are slightly rounded or bevelled, the latch is automatically disengaged by an upward blow on the lower striking surface 24. Alternatively, if a positive lock is provided as by a straight sided dog and detent, disengagement may be readily achieved by forcing a screwdriver or the like upwardly between the lower end of the connector leg 21 and the upright side wall ii. and prying the latch apart prior to driving the connector upwardly.

It follows from the foregoing that we have provided a simple yet tight connection and connector which can be assembled and disassembled by gloved personnel using at most nothing but striking and prying tools. Moreover, while we have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, we do not limit ourselves to the precise structures shown and described hereinabove, except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. In a connection between a first structural element and a second structural element, the combination with a pair of laterally spaced upright slots formed through a wall of said first element and a pair of spaced and complementary books on said second element, said hooks having bills directed in substantially the same direction and being adapted to protrude forwardly through said slots to provide upwardly directed channels between said bills and the forward surface of said wall; of a connector for securing said elements together, said connector being T-shaped and comprising a leg and a runner, said runner slidably seating in said channels to prevent retraction of said hooks through said slots, said leg being formed of spring metal, a re arwardly directed latch dog formed on said leg, a recess formed in said forward surface of said wall and providing a latch dog detent for engaging said latch dog and readily releasably securing said runner in said channels, said leg having a lower end directed for: wardly of said forward surface of said wall substantially at right angles thereto and providing an actuating means for said connector, and said dog being located adjacent said forwardly directed lower end of said leg whereby such 10 lower end also provides means for disengaging said latch dog from said detent.

2. The structure of claim 1, there being an integral ex- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 826,621 Sticht July 24, 1906 2,388,572 Regenhardt Nov. 6, 1945 2,627,948 Farr Feb.-10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 467,566 Germany Sept. 27, 1927 

